IP: Agenda for MS Remedies Workshop

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

I just stopped in for a brief visit while I was in DC so what I will say is very unfair but what the h_ll.

Jamie Love gave a very good talk focusing on the EU settlement with IBM as a model for dealing with such high technology antitrust issues. I am in awe at the EU understanding with respect to software and hardware.issues. 

Another talk I heard was much more disappointing. It was from a learned economist who did not understand the software business but had read re Open Source. He kept talking about Standards Bodies and notions of software as a bunch of carvable pieces you could mix and match at fee will.  He seemed to believe on could create software in a day and adapt to changes in a few hours. I am being a bit unfair but it worried me that it is possible that such folk will determine what happens if MS is either found guilty or settles. 

We need ver badly to organize education meetings where we try to make them understand our industry, else they will be like the farmer who gets sold the Brooklyn Bridge.

Dave